The Assassins
by GuardianSoulBlade
Summary: They left a trail of dead bodies in their wake; fierce, deadly members of the League of Assassins. Twisted from what they once were, they thrive on murder. They love the thrill of the hunt. Now they hunt a Robin, the boy who was once their son. AU. Deadfic. Will not be updated. Now retooled as "Fractured Memories".
1. Chapter One: Reclusion

**The Assassins**

_They left a trail of dead bodies in their wake; fierce, deadly members of the League of Assassins. Twisted from what they once were, they thrive on murder. They love the thrill of the hunt. Now they hunt a Robin, the boy who was once their son. The Hunted AU._

**_Warning: _**_This is going to be an M rated fic, due to the darker nature of the story, and adult themes and violence. Like I said, this a dark AU of "The Hunted" and although The Hunted is dark, I'm going to push serious boundaries with this one. If you don't think you'll be able to handle a dark fic with psychological torture, and a high body count, the HIT THE BACK BUTTON!_

**Chapter One: Reclusion**

Ra's Al Ghul stood in his dessert stronghold, contemplating his next move. The dream of a world free of crime and restored to its former pristine glory was far from fruition. The Detective and others like him were obstacles standing between him and a perfect world. He knew he must find a way to stop the Detective, he knew that to attack him directly was a foolish decision. The Detective's Prodigy, the Boy Wonder would be an easier target, as would the butler and surrogate father, Alfred Pennyworth.

How to do that, however, would prove a challenge. There were many ways to kill a person without it appearing intentional. But Robin, he was like his mentor, clever and resourceful. His demise would have to be well thought out, well planned, and fiendishly clever. He had existed for over 600 years; he had seen many things and had many experiences. He knew there were many ways to destroy a person. He had studied the Detective and knew many things about his surrogate son.

Ra's' mind began to conceive a plan that would destroy the Detective and his Prodigy, all in one swift stroke. The plan itself disturbed him. There were many risks. The Lazarus Pit he reserved for himself alone, but in order to carry out his plan, he would have to use one as a means to an end. He hated the thought of using it on anyone else. But to destroy the Boy Wonder he would use the people he loved the most: his long dead parents.

The plan was perfect. They would reappear in his life and he would be overjoyed at their miraculous return. They would earn his trust and love and when he least expected it, they would kill him. There was still something that he thought of that he knew would jeopardize the success of his mission. Paternal instinct and love between parents and their children. He would have to convince them that their son was an enemy of true justice and had to be eliminated.

It would take time and work, but it would be worth it to see his greatest enemies destroyed. Ra's Al Ghul ordered Ubu to his private jet and they flew to an airport just outside Gotham City. They drove to Gotham City and made their way to the Gotham Cemetery. They easily located the graves and he ordered his men to dig them up.

It was the dead of night and no one was anywhere near the area. He had his men load the caskets into the back of a large freight truck and drive them back to the plane where they retreated to his dessert fortress. Ra's had his men carry the caskets into a dark, dim room. He had his men carefully remove the bodies from the coffins and place them on a concrete slab.

You will witness something that you will take to your graves, my acolytes! You will bear the responsibility of this secret for the rest of your lives!" Ra's ordered Ubu to lower the skeletons down into the Lazarus Pit, the men moved closer to get a better look at what was happening to the bodies. While they were distracted, Ra's summoned one of his other assassins.

"Lady Shiva, kill them," he ordered "No one must know about what will take place tonight besides the two of us." Without hesitation, Lady Shiva viciously attacked the other assassins, stabbing some and shooting others in the back before they could react. Within minutes, 24 bodies lay dead as the putrid smell of blood filled the air.

"Very good, Lady Shiva," Ra's said. She turned to leave. "Where are you going?"

"I do not know what I have not seen. I do not have to lie if I am asked about what you have done in this room." Shiva exited the room.

Ra's stood, eagerly awaiting the results of the Pit's effect on the Flying Graysons. Ubu said nothing. They waited for a few minutes, and then Ubu spoke.

"It has been too long, Master. They still have not emerged. It is too late for—"

There was a bubbling in the fiery liquid and a sinister smile slipped across Ra's' face. "No. They have returned. Quick, restrain them. I wish to keep both of them alive in order to destroy the Detective's surrogate son."

The unknown fiery liquid rose up in a large wave as John and Mary Grayson leapt out of the Lazarus Pit. Their maddened screams filled the room as they landed on the floor. They both stared at Ra's with wild eyes before Ubu clubbed them senseless. They were both naked; their clothes had long since rotted away. Ubu fumbled for something to cover them both but couldn't find anything for them to wear.

"Take them somewhere where they will be kept safe but secret. Then get them some clothes. If anyone sees you or questions you, kill them, Ubu," Ra's said. He turned and walked out of the room.

Ubu dragged the two bodies down the hall and placed them in two separate rooms. He found clothes that would fit both of them and placed them in each of the rooms.

Ubu made his way into another room where he found Ra's Al Ghul waiting for him. "All your instructions have been carried out, Master."

"Good, we will wait for the Graysons to come to their senses…I have lived for over six hundred years. I have become a very patient man. Convincing them to join us when they wake will not be a problem. All that is required is that we be patient…"

* * *

The one thing Mary Grayson felt first was the cold. The chill seeped through her entire body. She sat up, panicked and looked around. She didn't recognize her surroundings. She looked down at herself and realized to her horror she was naked. Her mind was a mess and her memories were a muddle. She could remember Haly Circus; the performance in Gotham City She remembered something had gone wrong. She could remember falling…falling to her death.

How had she come back? And where were her clothes? They didn't bury you naked; she knew that. She looked around and saw a pile of clothes lying on the floor. Without any thought, she put them on. She walked to the door and hesitantly opened it. She slipped quietly into the hallway.

"Take her!" Ra's said. Mary jumped out of her skin and whirled around to face him.

"What?! What's going on?!" she demanded. Rough hands grabbed her arms, pinning them behind her back.

"It's quite simple, Mary Grayson. I'm going to break you down until you are completely loyal to me. You will be a member of my League of Assassins, whether you want to or not," Ra's told her.

Mary stared at him, confused. "I'm not going to do anything for you. Where's my husband? Where's John?"

"He's dead," Ra's lied.

_"NO!"_ Mary screamed in anguish. Her husband, her best friend, her only love, he couldn't be dead! They couldn't bring her back without her husband. It wasn't fair, they belonged together. What was going on here?

The other men dragged her off to a solitary room.

"Master, what happens now?" Ubu asked.

"I'm going to break the Graysons, the fact remains that there is no logical way they would kill their son of their own volition. But, there are ways to break and mold the mind and body to what I want them to be."

"As you wish Master," Ubu said. He watched as the other assassins dragged Mary Grayson off to a cell. It would probably take a long time to break that one. But he knew Ra's Al Ghul would be patient enough to take all the time in the world to accomplish his goal. Even if it took ten years to break the both of them, they would kill Robin, way or another.

Mary Grayson was thrown onto a hard concrete floor. She tried to get up but was knocked down by a giant fist.

"Why is this happening to me?" she asked; the fear evident in her voice.

The men didn't say word. There were three of them. She was outnumbered. One of them began taking off his shirt. Her eyes widened in horror. This couldn't be happening, not to her, not after all she'd been through. She had been taken from Heaven only to wake up in a living Hell.

The other two men grabbed her and threw her on the ground. She screamed. Her life flashed before her eyes over and over as she screamed for someone, anyone to come and save her. There wouldn't be anyone.

How long it lasted, she didn't know. There were so many of them, these inhuman monsters who enjoyed raping her, she'd even lost the will to fight them off and she just wanted it to stop. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally left and she was truly alone.

Mary Grayson lay curled up in the fetal position, clenching her eyes shut as she desperately hoped her tormenters would leave her alone.

"Get dressed," one of them said. She did as she was told and was promptly dragged over to a table with manacles where she was forced onto her back and restrained.

"What's your name?" the man who had raped her asked.

"My name is—" she tried to answer when she felt water being poured into her mouth. Mary gurgled and gasped in shock. She felt like she was drowning. She couldn't breathe.

They called it waterboarding, where a person was strapped down on their back and had water continually poured in their face to simulate drowning, it was a form of torture. But why her? She hadn't done anything wrong, but that man had said something about breaking her, is this what he meant?

"You don't have a name," the man sneered. "You're no one. You're a member of the League of Assassins, and you obey the orders of Ra's Al Ghul."

"No, I don't—"

They continued to pour water in her face. This went on for hours. They continued to repeat their mantra, telling her over and over that she had no identity, that she was one of them, and that she served someone called Ra's Al Ghul.

She tried to block out the voices, but they just kept saying it, over and over and over. Mary desperately tried to close her eyes to sleep, but they kept hitting her until she was fully awake. They also forced her to remain standing, her feet ached but they wouldn't let her sit. It was agonizing.

She was almost asleep on her feet when she thought she heard a man's voice say, "That's enough for one day, she's not going to be an easy one to break, but she _will _break nonetheless."

"Master, she is stubborn," Ubu said.

"She's stronger than most," Ra's observed. "Usually, any who are forced into the League will join within one day of this process, if only to stop the torture. Tomorrow we will try a different technique on her, one reserved for only the most stubborn "recruits." Leave her."

Mary Grayson collapsed in a heap and fell in a traumatized heap on the floor. They had somehow dragged her soul from Heaven and brought her back to Hell. She just wanted to die, and unfortunately, it wouldn't be the first time. So began the first day of the rest of her life.

John wasn't fairing any better. He received the same treatment as his wife. Only instead of being raped, he was cut with knives and burned with cigarette butts.

Unlike his wife, John had managed to fight back, attacking his tormentors with his bare fists. It took six of them to hold him down as they began waterboarding him.

He was also forced to stay on his feet and was deprived of sleep as he tried to stay focused and ignore the brainwashing mantra they kept repeating. He was tiring, but he desperately wanted to know what was going on and where Dick was. It was bad enough that they had been pulled down from Heaven and brought back to what he could only describe as Hell on earth; he had also been told that his wife, his soul mate and companion was dead.

He didn't want to believe it but he couldn't see her, hadn't heard her voice. He just wanted to escape, to get away from this horrible place. But where would he go? He didn't even know where he was. The building's interior gave no clues about where he was.

He had to escape, he had to find Mary, he wanted to see her again and find Dick. He wanted his normal life back and he wanted his family. If he was going to keep on living, he had to hold onto his memories.

He closed his eyes and slept, it was the only place he could go where he felt happy and safe, he tried to clutch at the fleeting memories of those who were dear to him. So began the first day of the rest of his life.

Slade sat in his lair, contemplating his next move. He hadn't had a contract in months and the money needed to carry out his plans was dwindling.

Just then, his butler Wintergreen walked in. "Master Slade, there's something on the news you might want to see."

"Turn it on," Slade ordered. The butler did as he was told.

"In a strange series of events, the bodies of the "Fearless Flying Graysons" mysteriously disappeared after their headstones were desecrated in the Gotham Cemetery yesterday," the newscaster said.

_That's interesting,_ Slade thought. The Fearless Flying Graysons were Robin's parents. He knew enough about Batman and Robin that he had deduced their secret identities. He had never told anyone about it though, it would be pointless if everyone knew about Batman and Robin's secret identities, there would be no point in letting the whole world know who they were, especially when you could use that knowledge against them and have an upper hand on everyone else.

"Local authorities informed Bruce Wayne and tried to contact Dick Grayson who could not be reached for comment for unknown reasons. The police and the Batman are heading their own separate investigations into the incident."

Slade was intrigued. Who'd want to steal the Flying Graysons from their graves? It had to be someone who was out to get Robin. He wondered why he hadn't thought of it before, but he knew the answer.

He had no way to resurrect the bodies even if he _had_ stolen them. But he knew someone who _did_. Ra's Al Ghul. How he disliked that man. All he wanted to do was kill off the entire world so he could create his "utopia". What a joke. What good was that? There was no profit from it. He'd rather take over a city and have everyone in it work for him, at least it was a way to accomplish things.

Slade had to wonder, would Robin investigate what happened to his parents? He decided to pay a visit to the gravesite, just to see, and to satisfy his curiosity as to whether or not the story was actually true.

He would love for nothing better than to see someone knock the insane kook Ra's Al Ghul off his perch. He'd rather have Robin trying to stop Ra's Al Ghul than trying to stop him. If Robin was busy chasing Ra's then he'd have no time to chase him. Besides, that man had needed a comeuppance for years now, and the only person who'd ever given it to him was Batman.

"Pack my things Wintergreen. I'm going to Gotham City."


	2. Chapter Two: Falling Inside The Black

**Chapter Two: Falling Inside the Black**

Slade stood in Gotham Cemetery, examining the Graysons' desecrated gravesites with interest. Already he had found a shuriken that belonged to the League of Assassins. It confirmed his theory that Ra's Al Ghul had some devious intentions for the Flying Graysons.

Under any other circumstance, he would have been thrilled to know that someone wanted to destroy Robin. But Slade knew that he could never stoop this low to annihilate his enemy. Besides, resurrecting dead people was ridiculously complicated and, if it went south, it _really_ went south. There were so many things that could go wrong. You could try to reanimate the body and end up with a zombie.

But curiosity got the better of him, he wanted to see for himself if it was true, if Ra's had taken the Graysons bodies' or not. He also wanted a glimpse of the people who had raised Robin to be so pigheaded and stubborn. He wanted to see why the boy was the way he was.

But before he could do that, he would have to see if Robin would even investigate the desecration of his parents' graves. After all, the Flying Graysons were extremely famous post mortem, and their deaths had been an unforgettable event.

He stood and waited all night, still Robin didn't come. Slade was surprised; usually the boy would take note of anything involving his parents. Then the man realized a very important factor, in order for the boy to be there he would have had to have seen the news report that Slade had seen. The Boy Wonder must've not felt like watching the news that day. It was a pity, really.

Slade decided it was time for him to find the Demon's Head himself and see if what he suspected was true. It would be challenging, but Slade did love a good challenge. He called Wintergreen and had him get his plane ready. It was time to head off to the Himalayas.

* * *

"Master, I don't understand," Ubu said, "you said that you wanted to reunite the boy with his parents so they could kill them. If they are successfully indoctrinated, do you think it is wise to send them to him? All the feelings they have towards him might cause them to betray us."

"Indeed Ubu. I considered that, so I decided to change the plan, if only slightly. I will send them to kill the Prodigy, but they will see him only as a target to be eliminated, nothing more. I will break them of any emotions and feelings they have for their son. I will make them forget they ever _had _a son to begin with and I will make John and Mary Grayson forget that they were even _married._"

Is that possible Master? It has been a year now and she stubbornly refuses to believe that her husband and son are both dead. She insists they are alive."

"Continue breaking her body with the torture techniques. I have a sure proof plan to destroy any hope she has of ever seeing her husband and son again. And I will in turn, use that to break John Grayson as well. But it requires the work of an Arkham inmate, find the man known as Clayface, and bring him to me. His role is crucial in breaking the Graysons' psyches completely."

"Yes, Master," Ubu said. He left to make preparations to leave for Gotham City.

Ra's Al Ghul turned to one of his men and told them to continue torturing both the Graysons until Ubu Returned from Gotham City. It was startling how strong she was, not to mention her husband either, they both had been cut with knives, burnt with cigarettes, force fed, starved, put into pressure positions until they collapsed and forced into rooms where high-pitched sound was emitted to psychologically torture them. Still they refused to break. Their strength of will impressed him deeply, but he would need to twist their strength to be used for his own purposes.

It had been two weeks since Ubu had left for Gotham City, during that time he decided that he would oversee their torture sessions himself, he would not rape Mary Grayson, but he would wait until his men were finished with her before he would be her torturer. It was a pity really, it would have been so easy to play it safe and play the role of kindly mentor, but with _this _method he was sure to make them completely loyal to his cause.

Ra's made his way toward the cell where they were keeping Mary Grayson. He could hear her screams from across the hall as the men were beginning the torture session.

He noticed one of the guards wasn't exactly guarding the door. He was actually staring through the small slit looking at what was happening on the other side.

"You, what are you doing?!" Ra's demanded. "Stand guard at your post!"

"Hello Ra's," the man greeted him. The eco-terrorist raised an eyebrow, surprised to see him there. "So is that her? Robin's mother?"

"Slade, what brings you here?" Ra's asked, folding his arms.

"Curiosity, you resurrected Robin's parents, you intend to use them against Robin, don't you?"

"Yes, but you shouldn't care, I would think you'd rejoice that you're not the only one who wants to destroy him."

"I must admit, while destroying Robin is appealing, even I wouldn't resort to this stunt. This is a foolish plan, only a fool would hope to use the Flying Graysons against him. They will always love him, no matter what you do to them."

Ra's laughed. "Love? What do you know of love anyway?"

"I had a family once," Slade said, his voice deadpan. "I loved them. I know how it feels, and now I just ignore it and don't think about it."

"I have a proposition for you Slade," Ra's said. "Train the Graysons, and I'll pay you enough to keep Robin busy for quite some time."

"As lucrative as it sounds, unfortunately for you, I have just acquired a client and must be on my way. Besides, should Robin find out I had _anything_ to do with this scheme of yours; it would bring him down on me quicker than your assassins can kill a target. I'd rather not be involved."

Slade stared at Ra's intently, "I must admit this disturbs even someone like me."

"Torture? You were in the army, you've seen people tortured before," Ra's smirked.

"Yes I have, but you're trying to break her, even when Robin was my apprentice, I never tried to break him of who he was, I merely tried to mold him into what I wanted him to be."

"Yes, and look how that turned out," Ra's sneered.

"Still, honestly, I might have accepted your proposal to train the Graysons, if I had seen what I wanted to see."

"What does that mean?" Ra's asked.

"I came to see them for who they _were_, I'm not interested in what you're forcing them to _become_."

"You came all this way in hopes you'd see a happily married couple?! What kind of idiot are you?!"

"Honestly Ra's, the only idiot in this room is you. I wanted to see what made Robin love his parents so much, he would use a mother's term of endearment as his moniker, I wanted to see the reason why he continues to fight me every time I attempt to take over his city. I wanted to see the people who made him who he was. It was never the Batman who defined him, he only gave him the tools to fight and trained him, but it was his parents who made him what he is now."

"Don't insult me, Slade!" Ra's snarled. Instantly, Slade was surrounded by a dozen assassins. Slade removed his disguise and looked at all of them with disdain.

"Is this the best you can throw at me?" he asked.

The assassins attacked. Slade grabbed one of men by his throat and twisted it sharply. There was a loud _crack_ as it broke. The man dropped dead instantly. The other man attacked him, swinging a sword. Slade avoided the sword and hit the man straight across the face. He then smashed his fist into the man's face so hard his neck snapped back and that was the end of him.

Slade removed the sword from its sheath and slashed at his attackers, easily decapitating one of them. The man's head flew off and landed at Ra's Al Ghul's feet.

"I see you do not die easily Deathstroke," he observed.

"That's why I'm still alive," Slade told him.

"Do you intend to rescue her?" he gestured to the cell.

"Why would I do that? That's Robin's job," Slade smirked. "Robin's father, you're doing this to him too."

"Yes," Ra's replied. "He's stronger than his wife though, he's attacked several of my men."

"Has he killed them yet?" Slade asked, intrigued.

"He hasn't but he's come very close to it, but I have two more cards to play that are sure to break him."

"What's that?"

"I'm going to show him what we've done to his wife. No husband could stand having to watch their wife being raped."

Slade didn't say anything. He just kept waiting for the man to continue.

"And once I make him believe we've killed her, there will be nothing for him to be attached to. Would you like to see it?"

"A intriguing as that sounds, unfortunately I must decline, since I have satisfied my curiosity, I'm taking my leave. After all, I have a job."

"Farewell. Such a pity you didn't take me up on my offer."

Slade didn't say anything as he turned around and walked away.

Ra's turned his attention to the task at hand and opened the door and entered the cell.

"You have such a pretty face," the nameless, faceless assassin said. "It'd be a pity if something happened to it."

The men laughed. One of them had a knife pressed up against the side of her cheek and slashed her. The wound wouldn't leave a scar, but it was very painful.

"Ah!" Mary screamed. Why didn't they just kill her? Or did they actually enjoy this?

"I suppose we should keep it even," he said, slashing the other side of her face.

Ra's gestured and the men stopped for a moment.

"Bind her hands." The men tied her hands behind her back.

Ra's removed small, sharpened reeds from his cloak and moved to half kneel behind her.

"This won't leave any permanent damage my dear, but I promise you, this will be very painful," he jammed the reeds under her fingernails.

"AH!" she howled, the pain was so excruciating and it felt as if her fingers were burning.

He pressed harder, fiery agony shot straight to her mind and she screamed until her voice was hoarse.

"You can take the pain, but do you honestly think this will ever stop unless you join me?"

Mary Grayson was silent.

He began torturing her again. It went on for another hour until he grew impatient.

Her memories, the memories of her husband and son were fading by the day. She couldn't recall their names, how old they were, and even her feelings for them that were becoming lost in the pain and insanity and suffering that had overtaken her life.

"Do you have any family?" Ra's asked, he had heard Ubu had arrived with Clayface and that the charade was ready. The one last shred of Mary Grayson's life would be severed, and she would be everything he intended for her to be.

"…Husband….son…" she whispered, she had managed to regain her voice, as tired as she was.

"No, you don't have a husband or a son. They're dead."

"They can't be," she continued in denial.

"Bring her out," he ordered. The men dragged her out of her cell and into a large room.

"Do you see those boxes?" he asked, "Do you know what they are?"

"Caskets…" she whispered. "No."

"Inside those caskets are the bodies of your husband and son. So you see, you have no one left!"

"No!" she repeated. It wasn't possible. That couldn't be true. She made her Way to the first casket. It was marked "John Frederic Grayson," she reached out and opened it.

"NO! No, it can't be! You can't be dead!" What was left of the body was her husband wasn't it? His name was John? She thought it was, but couldn't recall correctly if the name on the casket was his name.

She had known this man, loved this man even though his name was lost to her, she knew she'd been married to him. She saw the decayed skin and smelled the rotting flesh; it was too horrible to stand. She felt her sanity breaking; it was too painful for her.

She began to weep, shaking uncontrollably. Mary moved over to the next casket and opened it.

The piercing shriek of grief that echoed off the walls would have startled even the most hardened individuals. Even Slade, who was making his way through the halls, preparing to leave, came to a dead stop.

"Such a pity," he said to himself. Slade had to wonder how the Robin would react to the sight of his living mother, alive and now insane. If Ra's was going to use her to kill him, it was going to be a rough time for Robin. Even though he could very well tell Robin what was going on, it wasn't in his best interest to tell him everything. Even so, he wouldn't wish this fate on anyone.

Just for an instant, a name came to her, the name of her child, her only son.

"_Richard! Oh God, WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?!"_ she wailed. "Not my little Robin! You can't be dead too! You can't!"

"Yes, he's gone! He's dead! You'll have to accept the truth," Ra's sneered.

_Why me? Why is this happening to me?!_ She thought as she fell to her knees, sobbing.

The moment passed, and now the last remnant of her old life, her life as a wife and mother, her life as one of the Fearless Flying Graysons, slipped into oblivion.

Ra's leaned over her, her transformation was almost complete, she was falling, falling into a very dark place, and there was no way she would ever be able to find any trace of who she was before she died, all she would know was her new life.

"You're so weary," Ra's whispered gently into her ear, "it pains me to see you suffer so much. Anyone else would have died by now, but you're still here."

He gazed at her, feigning compassion. Mary stared at him, wasn't this the man who had tortured her for the past two weeks? Perhaps he had a change of heart, she couldn't tell.

_You're mine,_ he thought. His apparent change of heart was very convincing.

"My dear, are you tired of your suffering?" Ra's asked in a soothing voice. Mary Grayson, who had long forgotten her own name, looked at him in surprise. This man, this same man who had tortured her for weeks was offering her mercy.

"Let me ask you, do you want it to end, all this pain and torment?" Ra's was pleased, her spirit was crushed and after the cruelty of showing her what she thought were the bodies of her husband and son, she broke, her sanity was gone, replaced by the insane madness that slowly seeped into the mind and overtook it.

"Yes," she whispered. "I want all this to end."

He handed her a knife. "Take it, if you want to end your suffering, you must kill them."

"I…I can't…" she whispered. This was wrong. Murder was a sin against God, and against her moral code that she had lived by all her life.

"Yes, you can, they have tormented you for so long, and now, you have your chance for revenge, retribution."

"I…I…" she couldn't think of what to say. Her ability to think was being clouded by all her pain and suffering. She looked down at the knife in her hand, felt the cool steel as she grasped it in her hand.

"See, can you feel it? The power, the power to control, the power to take back your life. Do you want that?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Good. That's very good. Swear your allegiance to me, and I will show the means to become stronger and how to never be afraid of anyone. With what I will teach you, you will fear nothing and no one; he only person you will ever answer to is me, and yet you will answer to no one but yourself. Do you swear your allegiance to Ra's Al Ghul and the League of Assassins?"

"Yes," she whispered. "I live to serve Ra's Al Ghul and will learn the ways of the League of Assassins."

"Very well, prove your loyalty to me, and kill them!" Ra's Al Ghul ordered.

"But Master—!" one of the masked men began to protest.

"You said you would willingly die for me," Ra's hissed. "So you shall!"

"_You feel good, very good. You know you want this. Your body betrays you…" _

Mary felt her rage boil over, she knew that voice. It was the voice of the man who had raped her so many times, she knew the tone and mannerisms of her rapist; he was a horrible, sadistic monster who enjoyed making her suffer. He wasn't the only one, there were many, but he was different from the rest.

He made sure every time he forced himself on her that it was very painful and agonizing. The perverted monster enjoyed her anguished screams, he relished the power and fear he held over her.

Mary could remember his unwanted touches on her body, how he violated her so horrifically.

"_You little slut! Stop screaming, you'll only make me hurt you more!"_

The hatred and the fury that filled her drove her over the edge. Her vision blurred and her eyes became slits. She didn't care if it was wrong to kill, if 

anyone deserved to die a slow, painful death, it was this sick monster before her.

She rushed at him, swinging the knife, she watched as he dodged the attack. She wasn't about to let him get away. She was bound and determined to kill him, she wanted him to die, more than anything.

The only thing the man saw was a blur of motion and all he heard was an animal-like roar. Something hit him, he blocked the blow. He fell back under a continual barrage of enraged fists and felt himself being cut by the knife.

He was a member of the League of Assassins, a trained killer! He wasn't going to die at the hands of some pathetic woman! He tried to fight back, but what he hadn't counted on was her rage. Was it the Lazarus Pit? He'd heard rumors that Ra's had brought her back from the grave for unknown reasons, he had be ordered to torture her for that whole year, Ra's told him that his only purpose was to make her suffer, now he realized that he had outlived his usefulness, and that Ra's intended to make her a deadly assassin, not him.

He was torn between his loyalty to Ra's and self-preservation. While his mind was racing he lost his concentration and felt the knife pierce his body.

"Gah…" he wheezed out, gasping for air. He stared down at his stomach, looking at the blood that was seeping out of his body. How? How had she gotten thorough his guard?

The knife was suddenly yanked out of his stomach and she whispered, "Not so smug now, are you?"

"You…you…!" he gargled out.

She didn't say another word as she brought the knife up and slashed from left to right, slitting his throat, blood spurted out, landing on her clothes and face. As he uttered his last gargling breath, Mary stared down at her hands, looking at the blood on them.

"Not so hard now, is it?" Ra's asked.

"No, it's not," she replied.

"Good," he told her. "There are still two more."

The other men were startled, they weren't expecting this turn of events. Before they could even think, she threw the knife, it embedded itself in one man's head, the blood sprayed out as he was thrown back staining the walls crimson.

Using her acrobatic skills she'd learned from her husband at Haly's Circus, she dodged the first man's attack. She pulled the knife out of the dead assassin's skull, she charged forward, slashing her attacker's arms as she moved forward. He had never experienced such rage in battle, panicked, he charged her; he tried to wrestle the knife from her, but felt himself being thrown back as she used her feet to launch him away from her. Whirling around, she threw the knife and watched as it found its target, the man's neck. More blood flowed, the man dropped dead.

Mary looked around, feeling Ra's Al Ghul's hand on her shoulder.

"Well done," he congratulated. "Your training begins tomorrow. Ubu, take her to her room."

"I'm not going back to that cell am I?" she asked.

"No, you won't be going back to the cell; you'll be staying in a room. As a member of the League of Assassins you are now a member of an organization that will save the world from itself. Go and rest, you've taken your first step into a larger world."

Ubu lead her to a room, she made her way inside. It was surprisingly nice. She had to blink her eyes, letting them adjust to the electric lights. Making her way toward the sink, she began washing the blood off her hands. It was strange, she thought that blood on her hands would bother her, it didn't.

Mary began to search for any bandages or first aid to ease the pain of her wounds from the horrible torture she had endured that day. Not that any medicine could ever heal her crushed spirit or her broken heart.

"Ooooh," she groaned as she applied alcohol to the cuts on her face. "That stings."

Applying the bandages, she made her way over to the bed. She just wanted to sleep. But sleep wouldn't come, at least, not the peaceful rest she desperately longed for. Only images of horror and terror flooded her subconscious. She lay in the bed, not quite asleep, not quite awake; finally she fell into a dreamless slumber that didn't last long enough.

* * *

"Ubu, instruct all my acolytes and assassins that whenever they are in the presence of Mary Grayson they must never say her name or say anything about her past. She must never be able to recall any events of her life before her untimely death. Should someone even mention her name, her son's name, or her husband's name or anything that could possibly trigger some of her memories, you must kill the person who said it. These same instructions also apply to John Grayson as well."

"Yes Master," he bowed.

"And if the Graysons ever meet, they will immediately be killed. I cannot risk having their memories return. Is that understood?"

Ubu nodded. He turned and walked away to carry out his master's instruction.

Ra's began to laugh, despite her stubbornness, Mary Grayson finally broke, and he knew that the father would be much easier to break, and easier to manipulate. He took his time to gloat, the Flying Graysons, or what remained of them, were _his._


	3. Chapter Three: Captiva

**Chapter Three: Captiva**

John Grayson struggled to climb to his feet as he saw the door of his cell opening. The men grabbed him before he could react and they dragged him out to a very large room. He blinked, looking around trying to adjust his eyes to his new surroundings.

"What's going on? Where am I?" he asked. Ra's Al Ghul stood before him, all the while gloating at the idea that he would break the father just as he broke the mother. Yes, this would be easy, too easy.

"You are here to witness what happens to those who refuse to join me. Allow me to show you what happened to someone who refused to join us…your wife…"

"My wife! What…what did you do to her?!" John demanded. "Where is she?"

"You'll see soon enough," Ra's sneered, "It's quite tragic, really. Her death could have been prevented, if she had joined us."

"You—you monster! You killed her!"

"I did no such thing. But my men, they are not as…restrained as I am. In fact, they chose to "use" her as they saw fit." Ra's hit a button and played the recordings he had secretly taped. He smiled as he walked out of the room.

John was too horrified to form coherent words or thought. The images he saw, what these men did, was truly horrifying. They were animals, brutal and efficient.

He didn't how long they made him watch recording after recording of how they raped and tortured her. So many atrocities. He lost track of time. It was several hours and his eyes felt weary from staring. When he tried to close them, the men would beat him until he opened them again.

Tears leaked out of his eyes and down his face as he heard her screaming, begging them to stop. There was a profound sense of guilt that he couldn't protect her, and then, a slow building rage that rose up to overwhelm him. His captors were too busy amusing themselves watching the video. They'd even let their guard down and given up on hitting him when he tried not to look at the screen.

Before that moment, John Grayson had never thought he would be capable of murdering anyone, but the video was just too much for him. He reached out and grabbed the man closest to him. He placed his hand on the man's throat and crushed his larynx. The man dropped dead and his companion reacted by pulling out a sword and slashing him across the face. John ignored the pain and plowed into him, slamming his shoulder into his opponent and vaulted himself into the air. He landed on his feet and lashed out again. The man sidestepped him and slashed him on the back. He hit the ground and tried to rise, but was knocked unconscious.

"Well done," Ra's congratulated his acolyte. "He is progressing well enough. His anger and aggression only need to be channeled at my enemies. He isn't broken yet, but he's close to it."

"Get him out of here and destroy that disc," Ra's ordered. The man nodded and moved to carry them out. He helped another man drag John Grayson back to the cell where they were holding him. He then went off to dispose of the DVD. He planned on burning it by throwing it into the furnace but decided against it, that woman was attractive and he decided to keep the disc in order to amuse himself and gloat. He was one of the men in that video, best to enjoy one's own exploits.

Slade, who had been making his way out of the same compound remembered what Ra's had told him about how he would break John Grayson. Had they really changed places so quickly, husband and wife? He'd heard Mary's screams of grief and already he saw a man carrying a small DVD back to his room. He deduced that Ra's had been simultaneously breaking them that day, that was why he had offered to let Slade watch as he broke John Grayson, perhaps he had started on the father earlier, and had gone to Mary when John wasn't cracking fast enough.

Now he saw a man walking around with a disc in his hand, presumably with evidence of Mary Grayson's torture. He had just heard Ra's order the man to destroy the DVD... Wait. Slade smiled, the man was disobeying a direct order from his master. The penalty for such disobedience was death, so, Slade thought, Ra's wouldn't mind if he killed the man and took the disc, not because he was a sick, perverted man who enjoyed watching such things, but it would be crucial to prove to Robin that he was in no way involved in what was going on. Besides, he could always use it to blackmail Ra's if he ever needed to.

The man was about to enter his room when he felt pain shoot through his chest and he exhaled quietly as he died.

"I'll be taking that DVD," Slade said quietly and removed the disc from the man's still-cooling fingers. "You should always follow your master's orders." He then proceeded to walk out of the temple without incident.

His business was done there.

* * *

John Grayson lay in his cell; his back ached, crudely covered in dirty bandages that barely sealed his slash wound. He gave a small pain filled grunt and forced himself up on his feet.

The door opened and he was dragged out into the same room he had been in earlier that day. There were ten men standing guard in the room. Only this time, instead of a large TV screen, there were boxes. Two boxes.

_Caskets…no!_

"Now I will prove to you that there is nothing left for you to live for…except complete service and loyalty to me," Ra's told him.

"No, you're lying! That's not them! They can't be dead!" John screamed.

"See for yourself," the Demon's Head told him.

John forced his legs to move as he made his way over to the caskets. He opened one and stared, indeed, there was a body inside, and there was no denying it anymore. His wife was dead. He then moved to the next one, and looked inside. Ra's noticed that John Grayson didn't seem to react, he wasn't like his wife, who wept and showed her distraught emotions. He just stood still, silent as a stone. Ra's saw him turn and the look in John's eyes was that of pure hatred and rage.

He smiled. John's sanity was gone, just like his wife's. He would forget she ever existed, and with continued conditioning, he would become the perfect assassin.

"They murdered your family. Take your revenge! Kill all of them!" Ra's ordered, and unlike his wife, John had no moral crisis whatsoever, he charged the first man and hit him so hard he flew three feet away and hit the wall with a loud _thump_. He managed to grab a sword and swung it out, slashing one of the assassins across the neck, nearly decapitating him; he reversed the blade and finished him off and his head hit the floor.

He charged the rest, who were hell-bent on surviving and killing him. Slicing diagonally, John blocked every blow aimed at him, more luck than skill though. He had very little sword training. Only what he saw in the movies and the rage that fueled his movements. He still possessed his acrobatic skills and used them to evade and attack his opponents.

One of the assassins managed to pull a gun on him and John grabbed the man's arm and with superhuman strength, ripped his shoulder out of its socket. He grabbed the gun and fired, shooting him point-blank in the head.

He linked the gun in his hand, the weight, the heft, and the power. The power of life and death; the power of God in the palm of his hand. He would decide who lived and who died. And in his mind, they all deserved to die. He aimed carefully, and fired. Yes, the gun was a suitable weapon for him, it made killing these animals so much easier, but there was one man that he would relish strangling to death, very slowly.

He knew this figure by how tall he was and his eyes, they were green, and he was trying to fight him off as he continued shooting down the others with ease and no remorse.

He only had one man left to face, the last man to execute. That was all this was, an execution. They deserved death, and he would give it to them.

He put down his gun and rushed the man head on. He was out of bullets anyway, but at the moment, he only had only one ting on his mind: kill the enemy at any cost. It didn't matter how he died, as long as it was slow and painful.

Blows were exchanged. Blood splattered on the man's face as John relentlessly beat him, hitting him over and over. Although his opponent was a trained assassin, Ra's had make sure that all the men who had tortured both the Graysons were green recruits with little combat experience with real people, he made sure they would be surprised by the rage these captives possessed.

Yes, the rage, fueled by the Lazarus Pit, the Graysons would be a mixture of madness and power, with stimulants and steroids constantly pumped into them; they wouldn't be able to think with any sanity. They would follow orders and do what they were being programmed to do: kill a target with no moral qualms and do it with brutal efficiency.

John grasped the man's throat and began squeezing. The man gagged, struggling for the precious air he needed to keep on breathing. At the last minute, John twisted, there was a loud snap and the man landed on the floor, his neck broken.

"Swear your allegiance to Ra's al Ghul and the League of Assassins. We will fight the true perpetrators of injustice and restore the world. You will find your purpose for living in us."

"I swear I will serve Ra's Al Ghul. I will join the League of Assassins," John nodded.

"Please tell me, what's your name?" Ra's asked.

"I don't know," he answered.

"It doesn't matter who you were, but what you'll be doing now. We will begin your training immediately. Go get cleaned up. You have a long jurney ahead of you. Best to start now."

* * *

"Her training is progressing smoothly master," Ubu said, observing Mary Grayson's training below. It had been three days, and like her husband, she had taken to combat like a fish to water. But unlike John, she seemed to relish the fight itself. He was all about being effacement, doing whatever it took to end the battle and finish his enemy off. His wife however, seemed to find pleasure in battle, as if it were some kind of game. She especially enjoyed the killing, he'd already sated her bloodlust with six of his weakest recruits, and still, she kept seeking out opponents who would make her stronger, better.

"I noticed, she also asked for a strange favor from our technologies department at our dummy corporation Orpheus Industries. She asked them to create a neural inhibitor."

"But why would she want that, Master?" Ubu asked, "she is powerful, she could kill a super-powered meta-human with ease, and more than enough match for the Protégé."

"That's exactly why, Ubu, she relishes the fighting. She's not as interested in killing as she is fighting. Besides, it will be amusing enough when her precious son has to battle his own mother. Besides, I will secretly inject the inhibitor with enough drugs to keep blocking her suppressed memories. The more she wears it, the harder it will be for her to remember her past, if she remembers it at all."

"I see, and that will keep her restrained?"

"Yes, in a year, the device will be ready, and then we will release Robin's living Hell upon his City."

_One Year Later…_

"I have what you asked for my dear," Ra's said, handing Mary the device. "Made to your specifications. It will slow your reflexes and timing. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Yes," she replied. "My enemies are so weak, I've had to hold back just so I could enjoy it. It's just not fun killing people who can't put up a good fight."

"I'm glad to see you're happy. You are ready to go to work. Your first assignment is a wealthy politician in Star City. Infiltrate his inner circle and kill him, but please, make it discreet."

"No fighting? Only stealth? That's no fun at all," she muttered.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find a way to entertain yourself," Ra's smiled. "Now go, this politician is getting in the way of our plans, the sooner he is dead, the better."

"Yes, Master," Mary replied and left the room. He waited until the next day to give John his first assignment, long after his wife was gone.

"You too, are ready for your first assignment. Your job is to assassinate a man code named Deadshot. He botched an assassination attempt for us awhile back. We'd like you to cut off any loose ends."

"Of course, Master, but you said there was some kind of "Special Assignment" you had for me."

"Oh don't worry, that won't be for a long time, these killings are merely stepping stones for you, my Acolyte. When you are ready to face your greatest opponent I will give you that assignment myself."

"I shall leave at once, Master," John said and hurried off to the nearest plane.

"This is even better than I had hoped, but the Graysons are not strong enough to face Robin yet." But there was one who would test their skills in order to let him evaluate their training. He would send them to attack the True Master. Their orders would not involve killing her, but to use all their combat skills in order to see if they could defeat her. If they could defeat her, they could kill Robin, because the old woman was one of Robin's martial arts teachers.

Yes, everything was going according to plan. Now let the games begin…


	4. Chapter Four: Set It Off

**Chapter Four: Set It Off**

Dick Grayson, more commonly known as Robin stood on the roof of Titans Tower, staring out at the vast Ocean. Once again, restlessness was eating at him, he needed to go out and do something. The same old routine was getting boring and uninteresting. He wanted a challenge, something to make him think and make him feel a sense of accomplishment after it was over. Catching criminals, while very rewarding, was becoming very predictable.

He decided to head inside. Maybe there was something on the TV to watch. He was about to turn it on when suddenly the alarm began to blare. The other Titans ran in, looking to him for orders.

"Who is it?" Cyborg asked.

"Plasmus," Robin replied. "Let's go!"

They made their way down town where Plasmus was raging in the streets, ripping a tanker filled with dangerous chemicals in half and guzzling the liquid like soda.

"You know it's very rude to drink so fast, don't you Plasmus?" Robin asked, crossing his arms.

Plasmus roared angrily and hurled the two chunks of the tanker straight at the Titans.

"Apparently, dude, he didn't like your comment," Beast Boy observed.

"Titans, Go!" Robin ordered. The others scattered, moving out of harm's way. Cyborg fired his Sonic Cannon, sending a powerful beam into the oozing creature. Plasmus absorbed the shot and let it move straight through him. He filled the hole in his chest and opened his mouth, sending out a steam of acid at the Titan.

Raven summoned her powers, grabbing abandoned cars and other objects to attack the supervillain. Starfire flew towards him, shooting Starbolts as she slammed into him head on. Plasmus staggered back as he tried to regain his balance.

Furious, Plasmus roared and spewed acid as he turned his attention to Cybor, who had fired his Sonic Cannon in an attempt to take out the mutated metahuman.

The metal Titan managed to avoid the deadly chemicals as he fired another volley from his Sonic Cannon. Plasmus reached out a hand and batted him away, sending him into the side of a nearby building.

Raven rose up and summoned her powers, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"

Black energy shot out, hitting the monster in its midsection, leaving a large hole in its center. Plasmus inhaled deeply and closed the hole, rendering her attack useless.

Robin rushed forward, hurling a freeze disc that exploded, stopping Plasmus, if only for a moment. Beast Boy, as a rhino, plowed into the ice, shattering it. That, however, did little to deter the villain.

Raven used her powers to levitate and chanting her mantra, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" she unleashed her Soul Self, the entered the villains body and knocked him unconscious, he hit the ground in a sound sleep.

"Let's get him back to jail," Robin said, staring down at a sleeping Otto Von Furth. They personally took him to the Jump City Maximum Security Prison, just to make sure he didn't wake up again and try to escape.

After Plasmus was securely locked in a cell, Robin looked at his teammates.

"How 'bout we go out for some pizza," he suggested. "No other emergencies have come in, so I say we call it a day."

"All right!" Beast Boy said, "Veggie pizza!"

"No way, man, we're eating real meat!" Cyborg protested angrily.

"Oh boy, here they go again," Raven said, rolling her eyes.

"Perhaps I should pick the pizza toppings," Starfire suggested. The other titans stared at her in horror.

"Don't worry about that, Star, we'll figure it out when we get there," Robin said nervously. They headed off to the pizza parlor.

That day, Robin didn't even suspect that his parents bodies were missing, and he never imagined the events that were about to unfold around him.

Mary Grayson kept her concealed weapon, a small knife clenched in her fist as she walked through the streets of Star City. Contrary to the outward confidence she exuded, she was afraid, terrified of all the people around her. She hadn't been among large crowds for the longest time. So many people surrounding her made her feel uneasy.

She refused to wear black and conceal her face. It reminded her too much of her rapists, not that she wanted to _look_ like a dangerous assassin, but she generally avoided large crowds, but hated being alone. When she was by herself, she felt weak, vulnerable. She promised herself she'd never feel that way again.

Mary sighed. Just where was this guy? And how do you sneak into a politician's upper class circle anyway? She had her looks but she didn't know squat about politics and rich people. Going over the information she knew about him, she knew he liked to visit popular bars. He had a favorite, but she couldn't quite recall what it was. She took a moment to think it over, the answer was there; just like the answer to who she was and her life before all the pain and torture, but anything that had to do with her past always resulted in blank spaces in her mind followed by a terrific headache.

Remembering the name of Clint Steven's favorite bar, she headed down the street and found it, _The Box_, hopefully she would find her target there. Besides, she was in need of a drink anyway.

Making her way inside, she sat down at the barstool. She pretended to fumble for her wallet.

"Ugh! Out of money again," she muttered. Mary stared at a man sitting across from her and he seemed concerned, but she knew that he had ulterior motives for helping her. Her research on him told her that Clint Stevens was quite the philanderer. She had to wonder if his wife knew. He -deserved what was coming to him. Besides, he was interfering with Ra's Al Ghul's plans, trying to get profit for himself from an inside deal involving Orpheus Industries. He had no knowledge of Ra's Al Ghul or the League of Assassins, but he was still a liability. Besides, there were others who were secretly in league with the terrorist who wanted him out of the way to help Ra's further his agenda.

Clint Stevens, handsome senator and supposedly happily married, had been having extramarital affairs for years. He'd slept with many beautiful women before, but the sight of her made him stop.

Blonde hair and green eyes that seemed to stare off to nowhere, she was trying to find money to pay for a drink. She had a good figure too. He felt his lips curve into a smile. She was going to be a good one.

"Hey there, need some help?" he asked politely.

"No, I'm fine, but thank you," Mary replied.

"Really, if you want a drink, I'll buy it."

"Thanks," she glanced at him. It was working perfectly. He was already leering at her. Men and their sexual desires. It was disgusting. They had no sense of decency whatsoever.

'Where are you from?" he asked.

"Gotham City, just passing through," she lied, making up something plausible.

"I see, do you have any family? Such a pity to think that a beautiful woman like you doesn't have anyone to go home to."

"My husband left me a long time ago, I don't want to talk about it," Mary told him sharply. Any mention of family bothered her, but she didn't know why.

"You must be lonely," he said, pouring her a drink. "Maybe you could use some company."

"What are you implying?"

"I think you can figure that out yourself, babe," he laughed.

"You know we'll have to be…discreet. You wouldn't want to ruin your reputation now would you, Senator?"

"You know who I am? I'm flattered," he laughed.

"Well you _are _famous for a politician."

"Don't worry about my reputation; I'll check us into a hotel under a fake name, who says I don't know how to be discreet?"

"I—I'm not sure about this. I've never done something like this before."

"Don't you worry; I'll take care of everything."

"I'll find you later," she said, finishing her drink and getting up.

"How will I know it's you? I don't even know your name."

"Don't worry; I'm not one to break promises." She turned and left.

Clint Stevens smiled. He was looking forward to seeing her again.

_Later…_

It was late at night, but not too late, she waited for him outside a hotel. The man smiled at her.

"I've been looking forward to seeing you again," Clint whispered as she came up to him.

"We need to be somewhere private," her eyes were constantly looking around, trying to spot any potential witnesses. She couldn't let anyone see her; she had to get him alone to finish him off.

Next time the Master gave her an order, she'd request to do a proper assassination. Mary hated the whole cloak and dagger routine, she'd rather fight her way through a dozen guards than resort to the seduce and assassinate routine. If she kept killing the same way someone clever might catch onto her. And she hated having to use her body as a tool and found no joy in intimacy, if she could even call it that anymore.

Clint bent down to kiss her neck. "What's the matter? Shy?"

"Please, someone might see us…"

"Oh, yes, being discreet. Go inside. I'll take care of everything." He watched her enter the hotel.

He quickly checked them in under an alias and took her hand as he led her to hotel room number 815. Clint Stevens grabbed her rather roughly and practically slammed her against the door as his mouth crushed hers. Mary did everything in her power to keep herself from throwing him away from her. And this man thought he could woo a woman, what a joke. She would be very relieved when he was dead.

She feigned actions, pretended to enjoy what he did to her. But there was only one person who she had truly loved, only one man who could make her feel alive and happy, and who she truly enjoyed intimacy with, but for the life of her, she couldn't remember him; but the one thing she knew was that when _he _kissed her it was something that was sweet and wonderful and she knew it felt nothing like this.

Clint Stevens took no time to be sweet or romantic, he just put her down on the bed and started undoing the zipper of her shirt.

"Wait, please," she whispered, forcing herself to kiss his neck, He tasted like sweat and bad, cheap cologne.

"What for babe? Don't you want this?"

"To be honest with you, Senator…" Mary then pulled him close and kissed him fully on the lips.

"…No, I don't want this," she grabbed her gun and pulled it out, enjoying the shocked look on his face.

"Wh—what are you doing?!" Stevens asked, in horror as the woman calmly removed a handgun that was hidden inside of her pants. She raised it and aimed it square at his head.

"Did my wife put you up to this? If she did, I can pay you anything, anything you want if you'll put that down and let me live."

Mary felt adrenaline rush through her body. Oh how good it felt to be in control. She'd been so afraid of her torturers that she'd lost much of her confidence. Now, it was someone else who was afraid and begging for mercy.

"Please! Please don't kill me! I want to live! I want—!"

She fired the gun and he slumped over dead. She had placed a silencer on it so no one heard a sound as she slipped her shirt back on and ducked out the door and already having a planned escape route, she headed out the back door.

Her first job was done; hopefully, the next assignment would actually be fun for her. Mary Grayson wanted nothing more than a good fight. She wanted the thrill of an opponent who would test her skills, she wanted a battle, she wanted to kill, and hopefully, Ra's would let her do just that.

She used an untraceable cell phone to make a call.

"It's done, Master," she told him. "Clint Stevens is dead."

"Good. Well done. Now my dear, as for your next assignment…" Ra's Al Ghul began.

"Master, I have only one request concerning my next mission…" Mary told him.

"What would that be?" Ra's asked, pleased she had disposed of the politician so quickly. She had her uses after all. It was only a matter of time before she would be ready to kill her son, but there was still a test of her skills that was needed, but for now, having her carry out his bidding would be enough.

"…To have no need of…discretion. I am tired of having to sneak around and hide like this. I want a _real_ challenge."

He laughed. "I see. There is a heavily guarded military base. They have a highly advanced thermal blaster."

"I am not an animal. I thought I was trained to kill. Not fetch things for you like a dog."

She noticed he paused a moment before answering her. "Don't forget your place, my dear." He said in a barely a veiled threat. "I will not tolerate any insubordination from you. You recall quite well what my men did to you when you were…disobedient."

Mary shuddered at the memories. She gave an angry grunt and made a note that she would not show any reactions to threats of torture from now on.

"Forgive me, Master," she apologized. "I did not mean to misspeak."

"I accept your repentance, but I may not be so forgiving next time." He didn't want to suspect that he was still furious that she was still defiant, even after he had broken her of her sanity.

"This conversation is over. I will have one of my men deliver blueprints to you so that you can carry out your mission. Is that understood?"

"Yes, of course, Master," she slumped her shoulders in defeat. Mary contemplated hanging up on him, but then he'd be _really _mad. Still, it would give her immense satisfaction nonetheless.

"Don't sound so disappointed. You'll get your fight." Ra's Al Ghul hung up on her. Mary sighed. All she had to do now was wait. There would be nothing else for her to do until her next orders arrived.

Still fuming, he was tempted to send out some of his men to give her a beating for her defiance, but he figured she'd probably kill them and then he would have less followers to do his bidding, best to bide his time, if she continued to be defiant, he would send Shrike to deal with her. She wouldn't be killed of course, she was central to his plans, but Mary Grayson was still not as obedient as he would like, John on the other hand, was perfectly obedient, he didn't care about the past, and Ra's knew that deep down inside, somewhere, Mary still did.

Despite all she'd been through, she still wanted to cling to her past; he would make sure she would forget all about her life, if she was busy killing, she was too busy to think about the past. Distracting her would be easy enough, there were plenty of his enemies who needed to be disposed of.

Ra's Al Ghul smiled to himself as he hung up the phone, little did Robin realize the things that were being set in motion around him, by the time he figured out what was going on it would be too late for him to save his parents, his city, and himself. And that would be his moment of triumph over both the Detective and the Prodigy. All the pieces were set and he was moving them around like the Chess master he truly was, but instead of pieces, people, would play into his hands and the game was just getting started.


End file.
